


Boy(friend)s on Film

by ottelis



Series: boys on film universe [2]
Category: SKAM (France)
Genre: GUESS WHOS BACK, M/M, back again, but anyway here y'all go, its me, the long-awaited long-promised bonus chapter of boys on film, this is gonna be like episode 10 of the show, this is gonna be very fluffy and very domestic tbh, this may be an even happier ending than the actual ending of my fic lol, where it's kind of an epilogue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-14
Updated: 2019-09-14
Packaged: 2020-10-02 00:21:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20445947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ottelis/pseuds/ottelis
Summary: Lucas wakes up slowly, feeling Eliott's strong, warm arms enveloping him. He smiles, cuddles closer to him. He can hear Eliott's heartbeat, feel his chest rising and falling. Lucas feels something deep inside of him cry out, rejoicing, that that precious heart is still beating and those beautiful lungs are still breathing.





	Boy(friend)s on Film

**Author's Note:**

> this is the bonus chapter/sequel for my fanfic "boys on film"! if you've found this and haven't read boys on film yet i suggest you read that first so you won't be super confused while reading this. but if you HAVE read boys on film i finally wrote this darn thing lol and i hope y'all enjoy it!!

Lucas dreams that night that he's walking through a forest of jeweled trees, rivers of milk, and cities built of fireflies. Everything is blooming again. There's no sign of the devastation Lucas had found the last time he wound up here.

The moon is almost as bright as the sun, lighting up the world with a silver, ethereal haze. There are rainbows all around him as he walks through the trees, the colors reflecting off the diamonds bright and concrete. Yet they bend around his fingers when he reaches up to touch them. He notices the burn on his hand is completely healed. There wasn't even a scar. He plucks a diamond off a tree and eats it, the sugar sweeter than before and melting in his mouth. It tastes like the bits of sugar Lucas always finds on Eliott's tongue.

He keeps walking, craving again the sweet milk of the river. It roars louder now. The milk is warmer, sweeter. He drinks it more greedily. His eyes get heavy with sleep and his hands and chin are getting sticky. He watches the river move for a moment, slow and fluid and graceful. It leaps once in a while, immediately falling back down. It reminds Lucas of the way Eliott walks, the way he moves.

Lucas looks up and sees the city on the horizon, the lights flickering on and off as the fireflies wake up slowly. They drift towards him, muttering and humming. As they grow closer to him, he hears something familiar in their voice. They sing to him, welcome him back to the forest, ask him where he's been. But when he tries to answer, they shrug and move on. They start to dance, telling more stories. Now they tell him about how the sky speaks and blinks, how the moon smiles more but sometimes frowns, too. Lucas tries to tell them how beautiful the moon is, what the moon tastes like, how much he _loves_ the moon. But the fireflies keep talking. Lucas realizes what was so familiar about their voices. They sound like Eliott.

His eyes dart upward at the sky, and the stars, the moon are all back. There's hardly any space up there without any stars in it. They look just like the stars in Eliott's eyes. Lucas tears up. He misses Eliott, even when he's right there, smiling down on him. He reaches up, whispering Eliott's name into the wind.

A gentle, cool breeze picks up, and a voice within it tickles Lucas's ear.

"My poet," Eliott's voice breathes, soft, quiet, fond.

Lucas calls Eliott's name again, louder. The same joy he felt when they finally reunited fills him. He feels it buzzing at the ends of his hair, humming down to his toes.

The stars begin to move, swirling and growing brighter or dimming. Lucas swears he [hears](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7Bo4-NCEDk) the gentle yet frequent notes of a piano. The stars start floating down, the air around Lucas becoming warmer, peaceful. The joy within him reaches a crescendo. He hears his heart beating, his blood pumping in his ears. He feels everything at once.

The stars finally touch the ground, and with a bright, blinding flash, they disappear.

Once Lucas's eyes clear, he sees a figure standing in front of him. 

"Eliott?" he breathes, his tears finally spilling over.

Eliott smiles brightly at him. He's wearing white, the fabric crisp and without a single wrinkle. He approaches Lucas first, who's too overjoyed and emotional to move. Eliott wraps Lucas's trembling body in a tight hug. Lucas can feel the warmth of the stars on his skin like a blanket. He thinks of all the beautiful things here, all the things him and Eliott can see and experience together. He wondered if Eliott would like the taste of the river and the diamonds dripping from the trees. He wondered if Eliott could hear his own voice within the fireflies'.

"Walk with me," Lucas said softly, looking up at Eliott.

Eliott kisses Lucas's forehead, his lips cool. He pulls Lucas close and mutters into his hair, "Of course I will."

But Lucas doesn't want Eliott to let him go. He wants to stay here forever, wrapped in Eliott's arms, his stars warming every part of Lucas's body. He feels like stardust is flowing through his veins, lingering on his forehead where Eliott kissed him, dusted in his hair. How could he come back down to earth when the entire universe was cradling him?

But Eliott pulls away, smiling almost sadly. Maybe Lucas was his whole universe, too.

Lucas grabs Eliott's hand, running his thumb across his knuckles. Eliott flinches at first, then relaxes at the touch. His smile brightens a bit.

"Shall we?"

Lucas guides Eliott through the forest, still holding his hand. They don't talk much. They wander around, gazing on the mythical majesty of the world around them, and the beauty they find in each other. Lucas keeps trying to steal glances of Eliott, who is usually looking off somewhere else.

The stars in Eliott's eyes shine a little brighter as he takes in his surroundings, opening up to the wonders they're seeing. But when Eliott turns his head and their eyes meet, those stars nearly explode. The sight makes Lucas's breath catch in his throat. He never thought anyone could look at him like that.

"You're beautiful," Eliott tells him, a reverence in his voice. "You're so beautiful."

Lucas can feel the blush on his cheeks. He used to feel so ashamed every time a boy made him blush. He hated how pink he always got, how the warmth it brought with it always tingled. He's not ashamed anymore. He sees the same shade of pink in Eliott's cheeks, complementing the blue in his eyes. A whole universe where everything blushes, where the love you feel is so pure and strong it colors your face, makes your heart race. Paradise. Just like Lucas had always imagined.

They continue walking. The fireflies on the horizon dance around them, telling their stories and singing their songs. Eliott smiles again and says they sound like Lucas. How they were telling similar stories. They reach the river of milk and they both drink. Eliott drinks handful after handful, chuckling as he says the whispering of the current reminded him of Lucas's voice, too. They found the trees, with their silver bark and gold leaves and diamond fruit. Lucas showed Eliott how he can eat the diamonds. Eliott only ate one, lamenting how he wished they could be as sweet as Lucas was. 

They reach the edge of the forest, and Lucas's heart sinks. Eliott can't stay down here forever, right? He's the moon, the stars, the universe. He has to leave.

Lucas closes his eyes once he feels tears threaten to fall, hoping it would somehow hold them back. Behind his eyelids, he saw stars, a single one glowing then dimming. Then the next star shines then dampens out, as if someone was stepping on them.

Then he feels Eliott's lips on his. He feels Eliott's hands cradle his face. Those soft, strong, warm hands.

Lucas [hears](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7Bo4-NCEDk) the piano music again. It's faster this time, passionate, more urgent. Eliott kisses him harder, bites his bottom lip ever so slightly. Heat surrounds them, warmth. Lucas feels dizzy, lighter than air. He wraps his arms around Eliott's waist for support. He almost smiles at the thought of them stumbling backward, giggling between more bouts of kisses. He doesn't feel the ground beneath his feet anymore.

When he opens his eyes, all he sees is stars. They're brighter, shining in hues of white, blue, red, and yellow. He looks down and the forest below is so far away he can't make out individual trees. His stomach drops a bit, his mind and heart filled with a fear of falling. He reaches out, trying to find something sturdy to hold onto. 

The stars in front of him shift into a constellation, one Lucas instantly recognizes as Eliott. Lucas looks down at his hands and sees he's become a constellation, too. The fear is replaced with wonder and curiosity, love and warmth. He sees Eliott's stars move closer to him, wanting to mingle with his.

Lucas smiles at the thought. Him and Eliott, one constellation, ruling their own little place in the night sky.

Eliott is holding out his hands the same way the figure does in _Polaris_. Lucas takes Eliott's hands, interlocking their fingers. Their stars fill in the previously empty space, fill in the gaps.

Lucas kisses Eliott this time, quick and fast as he's filled with that joy again. The world, the universe itself, was _theirs_. The earth wasn't just Lucas's, and the sky wasn't just Eliott's. Lucas was weaved into the sky, the threads of his being coexisting with Eliott's in a new tapestry. And Eliott was planted into the ground, his roots reaching until they found Lucas's, all twining together. 

Anything, _everything_, was theirs.

* * *

Lucas wakes up slowly, feeling Eliott's strong, warm arms enveloping him. He smiles, cuddles closer to him. He can hear Eliott's heartbeat, feel his chest rising and falling. Lucas feels something deep inside of him cry out, rejoicing, that that precious heart is still beating and those beautiful lungs are still breathing. He closes his eyes, letting the prayer fill every part of him.

_Let the tender humming of his heartbeat lull the earth to sleep with its song, and may the gentle breezes escaping his lips ruffle the hair and soul of every lost, wandering soul._

When Lucas opens his eyes, he sees Eliott smiling softly, faintly in his sleep. What could Eliott be dreaming about? Is he dreaming of stars, too?

Lucas reaches up, gingerly brushing a lock of hair out of Eliott's eyes. His hand lingers, tracing Eliott's cheekbones, his jawline. His skin is soft, warm. Lucas wishes he could kiss him without waking him up.

Eliott stirs, then, opening his eyes. 

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Lucas mumbles, grinning.

"Morning," Eliott mutters back, groggy.

"How are you feeling?" 

Eliott shrugs. He pulls his knees to his chest, pulls the covers up higher. His eyes are soft and sad as he stares back at Lucas. He shivers a little.

"Here," Lucas says, giving Eliott the rest of the covers.

Eliott starts to speak, but Lucas cuts him off.

"It's okay," Lucas reassures him, playing with a small strand of his hair. "I'm not cold."

A ghost of a smile appears on Eliott's face, but there's guilt in his eyes.

"Did you sleep well?" Lucas asks, trying to lighten the mood.

Eliott nods. His smile becomes a bit more genuine. "I dreamt of you."

"Oh?" Lucas smiles back, eyebrows raised.

"I dreamt we were playing the piano together for some big concert. And then you tried to sing and the crowd started booing but you kept singing. Then I started singing, too, thinking it would help, but they just started booing louder. By the time our song was over, I started kissing you and the crowd threw tomatoes at us. But we just sat at the piano bench, eating each other's faces off."

Lucas giggles, and Eliott smiles even wider. "Guess we have to rehearse more, huh?"

"I guess," Eliott agrees.

"I had a dream, too," Lucas says quietly. "Like the one I told you about before. I was walking around by myself, and when I looked up, these stars started moving and came down to earth and they turned into you. You looked like an angel. And we walked through the forest together, holding hands, drinking milk and eating diamonds. And then you kissed me, and when I opened my eyes, we were up in the night sky. We were both made of stars. And then we kissed again and we made this huge constellation together. We were suddenly ruling the whole universe. Together."

Eliott looks thoughtful, wistful. "Do all poets dream like that?"

Lucas shakes his head. "I don't think it's the poetry doing this to me. I think it's you. Ever since I met you, all my dreams have become the thing of a Keats ballad or a Byronic epic."

Eliott manages another smile, but there's still something else inside him, something he's trying not to show.

Lucas doesn't know what to do, what to say. He's willing to give anything to have the right words to say in this moment, the right words to comfort Eliott. The words that would make Eliott smile again, bring back the stars in his eyes.

"That's dangerous," Eliott mumbles, frowning.

"What is?" 

"Dreaming of me like that. Seeing me like that. Like I'm some angel, or a god, or this heavenly muse or something."

"But I do," Lucas replies. "You _are_ my muse. You're the poetry I write, the magic I find in my dreams. That's what muses do. They open a stubborn poet's eyes to the beauty around them, the beauty within themselves. Francesco Petrarch had Laura, Dante had Beatrice, Jack Kerousac had Neal Cassady, Shakespeare had his dark lady and his fair youth. And I have you. You surround me, Eliott Demaury. You're everything I do, everything I try to be, try to reach. You have stars in your eyes that only a god could see, only a god could create. You have the very face of a chiseled, Greek god. But when I touch your face, I don't feel cold marble. I feel soft skin, warm and alive. Because you have the warmth of angels, too, my love. You have their grace, their kindness. You are a god and an angel and you make everything inside me sing. You make my mind and my heart want to muse until the universe itself ends."

Eliott bites his lip, obviously wanting to disagree. He holds his hand to Lucas's face, smoothing small circles onto his cheek. "I just don't want to disappoint you."

Lucas shakes his head. "You could never disappoint me."

There are tears in Eliott's eyes. "I'm sorry, I hate it when I'm like this."

Lucas places his hand on top of Eliott's. "It's okay, love. It's not your fault."

"I'm so afraid," Eliott admits, his voice small and weak.

Lucas is tearful now, too. "I am, too. But we just need to keep going, okay? A little bit at a time. Step by step. Minute by minute. You and I."

Lucas pulls Eliott close, letting his head rest on his chest. This first minute, he listens to Eliott breathe, kisses the top of his head, whispers into his hair.

"Minute by minute," Eliott repeats softly.

"It's almost the next minute," Lucas replies. "What should we do now?"

"Can I kiss you?" Eliott asks, looking up at Lucas.

Lucas smiles. "You'll never have to ask me that twice."

Eliott finally smiles, too, lifting his chin to reach Lucas's lips. They kiss, sleepy and tender. Everything is soft, quiet, peaceful. 

Another minute ticks by. Lucas and Eliott take one more small step forward. They kiss again.

* * *

Eliott falls asleep again a few minutes later. Lucas can't take his eyes off of him. He loves the small, sleepy smile on Eliott's face, the way his eyelashes are fanning out against his pale cheeks. He looks so beautiful, so peaceful. 

Lucas gingerly plays with a strand of Eliott's hair, wrapping it carefully around his finger. He feels tears in his eyes, feels his heart swelling.

He closes his eyes, resting his forehead against Eliott's. He rubs his nose against his gently. A single tear rolls down his cheek. A sonnet slips off his tongue. He whispers the words, reverent and admiring. His voice rises and falls with the rhythm of each line, with the beating of his heartbeat, Eliott's heartbeat. Lucas's eyes start to drift shut, his voice fading as he finishes reciting the final lines. He hopes the words he's spoken in this star-filled quiet will stay in his heart long enough for him to write them down. Maybe he'll show it to Eliott.

He falls asleep.

* * *

Lucas tries to focus on the sunset with its cotton candy clouds and warm sky, but all he can focus on is Eliott. His face, his eyelashes, his hair are all painted gold, his lips pink and full, his eyes bright yet flighty as he scans the crowd ahead of them. He's squeezing Lucas's hand so hard it starts to hurt. Lucas squeezes back, gentle, hopefully comforting him just a little. Lucas is a little nervous, too.

In front of them, there's groups of students sitting on picnic blankets, a makeshift movie screen and a projector, Mlle. Moreau scrolling through something on her computer. It's the sixth annual school film festival. It's been exactly a year and a day since Eliott and Lucas first met, first spoke. It was right here, in this spot.

Lucas can't help but think about everything that's changed in the past year. Eliott failed his bacs since he was in the middle of a severe depressive episode, so he's currently repeating his third year. Lucas is in his third year now, too. They're about to graduate together, go off to college together. They've already moved into a small apartment together in the heart of the city, right next to the tunnel where almost everything happened. The night they moved in, they had Lucas's mother over for dinner. They have their friends over for video games or movie nights almost every weekend. Lucas is out and proud, hardly afraid or ashamed to hold his boyfriend's hand or kiss him in public. Eliott is starting to get better. He found a medication that works for him and he sees a therapist once a week.

_If only there was a drug as powerful as you, my poet_, Eliott said one day, a blush in his cheeks and a supernova in his eyes.

Lucas smiles as all the memories play in his head, and as Eliott's grip on his hand starts to relax.

"Where do you wanna sit?" Lucas asks him.

"Let's stay in the back," Eliott answers, still eyeing the other people around them. 

"Okay," Lucas nods, squeezing Eliott's hand again.

He places their blanket down, smoothing it out quickly. He smirks as he tells Eliott, "Your Majesty."

Eliott manages a smile and sits down daintily. He pats the spot next to him. "Your Majesty," he returns, winking.

Lucas rolls his eyes, but sits down next to him, resting his head on his shoulder. He shuts his eyes, listening to Eliott's breathing and the chatter of the other students. Distantly, he hears crickets, too. 

"I love you, Ellie," he sighs blissfully. "So much it aches."

"Aches?" Eliott echoes.

"A good ache. Like a sweet tooth or something."

"Cheesy," Eliott mutters, playing with Lucas's hair.

"Shut up," Lucas smiles, kissing Eliott's neck.

Eliott melts. "I love you, too, my poet," he breathes. "So much it sweet tooth aches."

Lucas chuckles, blushing. "Who's the cheesy one now, huh?" 

"I am," Eliott concedes. "Or maybe we both are."

"No, it's just you," Lucas replies, shaking his head.

"Get a room," Yann's voice rings out, teasing.

"Aww," Basile coos.

"Hey, lovebirds," Arthur greets.

The boys sit next to them on the blanket, which gave Eliott and Lucas a chance to cuddle closer together. Eliott hugs Lucas tightly, kissing him on the cheek. Lucas blushes furiously, bubbling over with joy.

"Shouldn't you be up there with everyone else, Eliott?" Basile asks, pointing at the front of the makeshift theatre.

Eliott shrugs. "It'll be fine."

"I can't wait to see you blow it all out of the water tonight, _mec_," Yann says, grinning as he watches Eliott and Lucas cuddle.

"It's nothing like my movie last year," Eliott replies. "It's a complete surprise, too. I haven't spoken a word about it to anybody. Not even Lucas."

"It's driving me insane," Lucas sighs.

Eliott beams, kissing Lucas's cheek again. "You're gonna love it, my poet. I know you will."

Lucas turns his head, kissing Eliott's lips. He's reminded every second of why his heart chose Eliott, why it finally spoke once Eliott bounded into his life. He's reminded with these kisses, soft and quick and sweet. He's reminded by the stars in Eliott's eyes, the lilt of his voice. Lucas is so, so in love, and so, so proud.

"I know I will, too," he says, smiling.

Lucas sees Alexia, Daphné, Emma, Manon, and Imane walking toward them, chatting and laughing. He waves them over.

"You weren't at the club meeting yesterday, Lallemant," Alexia says, her tone expectant. "It's one of the last few meetings of the school year."

Lucas bites his lip. He'd forgotten about the meeting. "Sorry, I promise I'll make the next ones."

"You'd better," she retorts, playful. She chuckles. "I'm kidding, Lucas. But you'd better be at our party for the last meeting."

"I will," Lucas promises.

Lucas notices then that Arthur and Eliott are looking over at Basile. Sure enough, he's staring at Daphné, his eyes wide.

"What?" Daphné groans as she realizes he's gawking at her.

"Um," Basile stammers. "Have you had time to think about it?"

Everyone else shares a confused, almost worried glance.

"I have," Daphné replies, her expression softening. 

There's the faintest glimmer of hope in Basile's face. "So?"

"Talk to me after the festival's over," she tells him, a smug yet fond look on her face. She turns and faces the other girls. "Shall we go back to our spot?"

The other girls nod, trying not to giggle. They all link arms and stride away.

Basile's mouth is hanging open, his shoulders slumped. "I'm done for, _mecs_," he sighs, shaking his head.

"No way!" Yann protests. "Did you see her face? She's into you!"

"She is?" Basile asks, hopeful.

"Yes!" the other boys chime simultaneously.

Basile grins. "She really likes me?"

"Yes!" they repeat, still in sync.

"But why does she wanna talk to me _after_ this is over?" Basile asks, getting confused.

"Because that's a conversation you have in private, Bas." Arthur replies. 

"And Daphné is a pretty private person," Lucas points out. "She's not gonna feel comfortable telling you how she feels with all these people around."

Basile sighs, watching Daphné walk away. "I guess. Maybe by the end of this we'll be a better couple than you two."

Lucas rolls his eyes, and Eliott can't help but laugh. "As if!" they retort at the same time.

As they all laugh together, Mlle. Moreau taps the microphone, making the feedback crackle. The crowd falls silent.

"Welcome everyone to the sixth annual school film festival!" she greets, smiling brightly.

The crowd applauds.

"We have an even bigger turn out tonight than last year, and it just warms my heart to see our student body developing a love for film and supporting their fellow classmates in their creative efforts. We have a fantastic lineup tonight, and I can't wait for all of you to see them. First up is Remy Bisset with his film titled 'Shame.'"

The night drifted by slowly, yet leisurely. The crickets droned on, harmonizing with the noises of the films. The night grew darker, all the colors fading to black. It starts to get chilly, and Eliott holds Lucas tighter to keep him warm. The movies are definitely better than the year before, too. By around the fourth or fifth movie, Eliott seems visibly nervous. He's clinging to Lucas like a lifeline, his eyes flitting across the crowd. Lucas placed a small kiss on Eliott's cheek. Eliott manages a smile.

"And last but certainly not least, we have Eliott Demaury with his film, 'Boys on Film'!"

Lucas's heart started beating faster. He kissed Eliott's cheek again, but let his lips linger. He somehow manages to whisper in Eliott's ear, "I love you, Ellie."

Suddenly, Eliott's voice fills the courtyard. The screen is still black.

"This might sound terribly selfish of me, but did you ever write that sonnet about me? About us?"

Memories flood Lucas's mind like a deluge. This was an hour or two after Lucas mumbled out a sonnet with Eliott sleeping at his side. Eliott was playing with Lucas's hair, Lucas was connecting the freckles on Eliott's arms. They were both still drowsy.

"I did," Lucas's voice replies. "And it _is_ about you."

The screen finally springs to life. Lucas is sitting on his stomach on his bed, writing in his notebook. It was the very last page. The sunlight is coming in through his window just right. Lucas notices Eliott is filming and smiles bashfully, swiping him away.

"Is it yours or ours?" Eliott asks softly.

Lucas remembers his heart swelling at that moment, so much so that it kept him from speaking for a moment. He was caught in Eliott's eyes, caught in his words.

"It's ours," he finally says.

[Music](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wh7HCmC6v6M) starts playing, and tears fill Lucas's eyes.

The next shot is Lucas holding up a drawing of a raccoon and a hedgehog, one he clearly made himself. He's holding it up proudly, though. Eliott's laughter is barely audible from behind the camera. Lucas suddenly looks betrayed, sad. He studies his own drawing, unsure about why it made Eliott laugh.

"Do you think we could share it with the world?"

Lucas pauses again. "I think so."

"What did you come up with, then?"

"Do you want me to say the whole thing?"

"Of course. I wanna hear it."

The scene changes to a rainy street outside Eliott's apartment. Lucas is soaking wet, his hair and clothes dripping. He's looking at the camera, pouting. He shakes his head, sending water droplets everywhere. Some land on the camera. Lucas uses his shirt to clean the lens, but it only makes the image fuzzy and distorted.

"It's a little rusty," Lucas warns. "It just kind of slipped off my tongue."

"You just made it up on the spot?"

"I think so. I've only ever done stuff like that with you."

"Well, if I'm involved, it must be perfect."

Lucas is in the kitchen at the old flatshare, carefully trying to take a kettle off the stove. He holds it out at arm's length, approaching the camera. He pours the hot water into the teacup in the foreground of the shot. He manages to fill it without incident. He grins, a mixture of joy and disbelief. He pumps his fist, returning the kettle to the stove. It's then that he realizes he never filled up his own teacup. His shoulders slump and he leans against the corner. His left hand touches the stove and he yanks it back. The shot ends abruptly.

"You _are_ terribly selfish, aren't you?" Lucas asks, chuckling.

"Hey, you're the one who said it's _ours_."

"Fine, I'll recite it for you. And for the world."

A montage of scenes follow as Lucas recites his sonnet. Lucas kissing Eliott on the cheek at sunset, Lucas dancing terribly at a party, Lucas trying (and failing) to film Eliott baking his famous bacon and blueberry muffins. The camerawork is shaky and out of focus but you can still see Eliott laughing and grinning. Lucas and Eliott holding hands as they walk down the trail leading to their tunnel. Lucas proposing to Eliott with a ringpop at Halloween. Lucas plopping marshmallows into a mug of hot chocolate with an unnecessary amount of concentration. Lucas and Eliott kissing under the mistletoe at Christmas. Lucas proudly showing off his ugly Christmas sweater. Lucas watching fireworks during New Year's. Eliott giving Lucas a huge bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates as big as his head for Valentine's Day. Lucas smiling and laughing. Lucas asleep in Eliott's bed, the picture of peace. 

"Among the silver trees and golden grass / Shine diamonds, sugar spun into crystals / I see a river of milk as I pass / And fireflies, then all the light distills— / It's you: a splattering of galaxies / And supernovas amazing me still / You walk with me, admire my fantasies / Yet none compare to how your smile spills / Love, you are the most beautiful thing here / With your wild, throbbing heart, your lovely eyes / With your soft edges, with your sun-kissed hair / Your pink lips that kiss me until sunrise / Among the silver trees and golden grass / To kiss, to love you, is all that I ask."

The screen fades to black, the music fades to silence, and Lucas can't stop crying. He kisses Eliott with all the joy and love he has inside of him as the crowd bursts into cheers and applause. But Lucas couldn't hear them. All he knew was that he was in love, that he always will be, and that Eliott is crying, too. He tastes salt, a bit of Eliott, and a bit of love. No, Lucas thinks to himself. _Everything_ is love.

Lucas pulls away, wrapping Eliott into a tight hug. "Thank you," he whispers. "Thank you so much."

"Anything for you, my poet," Eliott whispers back. "Anything."

Lucas suddenly hears the crowd, but mostly his friends. He looks over at them, grinning as he sees them jumping up and down and pumping their fists in the air. He sees the girls running up to them, squealing and cheering, too. Lucas and Eliott stand up to greet them all, but they're knocked over as they're enveloped in a group hug. They lie on the ground, laughing until their sides hurt and tears were rolling down their cheeks. 

Their laughter dies down after a few minutes, and they lie on the grass, looking up at the stars. The rest of the crowd weaves around them as they leave, occasionally staring at them.

Lucas reaches and grabs Eliott's hand, squeezing it tightly.

"Can you believe Lucas basically wrote all of Eliott's movie?" Basile asks, breaking the silence.

"Not _my_ dialogue," Eliott points out, chuckling. "_That_ was all me."

"You had, like, three lines total," Arthur replies.

"Semantics," Eliott dismisses with a wave of his free hand.

"Hey, Eliott worked hard, too," Imane cuts in. "He had to film and edit everything."

"Thank you, Imane," Eliott nods.

"But we agree Lucas did most of the work?" Alexia asks the group.

The rest of the group mutters their agreement.

"No, all I did was sleepily wax poetic about my boyfriend one morning," Lucas explains. "It wasn't _that_ much work."

"Exactly," Yann replies. "You barely even tried and it turned out amazing."

"Love does crazy things to us, right?" Lucas asks, raising an eyebrow. He squeezes Eliott's hand.

"Can you believe Lucas is in love with Eliott and Eliott is in love with Lucas, too?" Basile asks.

Daphné clears her throat nervously. "Of course we can."

An awkward silence follows.

"Basile, should we go talk now?" she asks him.

"O-okay," Basile stammers.

They both stand up and walk off to the side.

"Can you believe _they're_ in love?" Arthur asks.

"I can," Manon answers. "I saw it coming."

"YES!" Basile yells from across the courtyard.

"Well, I guess it went okay," Lucas laughs.

"Oh, they're leaving," Manon notices, sitting up. "They're holding hands."

"Good for them," Emma says. "They deserve it."

The others keep talking, but Lucas and Eliott's eyes have found each other in the darkness. Lucas can see a little bit of the sky, right here on the ground, in Eliott's eyes.

"Are you gonna make a movie for every sonnet I write?" Lucas asks softly, teasing. "Because I've written a few more since that first one in your movie. You're gonna have to catch up."

"I could," Eliott agrees, chuckling. "Then I could make them all into one big movie or something. The Elu Cinematic Universe."

Lucas grins, stifling a laugh. "We'll make cinematic history together, love."

Eliott nods. "We will."

"Sorry, Mademoiselle," Manon says suddenly. "We'll go ahead and leave."

Lucas and Eliott sit up. Mlle. Moreau is standing in front of them, more tired than annoyed that they were still here. She's lugging the projector on a cart and has a backpack slung across her shoulder. She smiles at them.

"I'm proud of you, Eliott," she says. "I'm proud of you, too, Lucas."

"Thank you, Mademoiselle," Lucas and Eliott both reply.

"You two have a good night."

Mlle. Moreau walks off, struggling with the cart.

The others say their goodbyes, congratulating them both on Eliott's movie. They all walk off, leaving Lucas and Eliott alone.

"Shall we go home, my poet?" Eliott asks. "Get some sleep?"

Lucas nods. "I _am_ getting pretty sleepy."

"You're not upset or anything, right?" Eliott continues, biting his lip. "About me using your sonnet?"

Lucas shakes his head. "I think the world was ready to hear it. Now, if you had done that the day after all that happened, maybe. But I think I'm ready, too."

Eliott sighs in relief. "I was so worried you'd be pissed or something. I even asked the boys if they thought you would mind."

"Wait, they knew what your movie was about?" Lucas asks. He wasn't angry, just puzzled.

"No, not really," Eliott answers, still nervous. "I just vaguely asked them if they thought you'd be okay with me using one of your poems for a project."

Lucas is intrigued now. "What did they say?"

"They asked me how long it had been since you wrote it, what it was about, that sort of thing. Once I said it was from almost a year ago and that it was about me, about us, they didn't seem too worried. So I kinda jumped the gun."

"I'm not mad at you, love," Lucas tells him, looking him in the eye. "I'm not afraid anymore. I'm not afraid of people knowing about me, or us. Because at the end of the day, all that's none of their business. I get to sing my song now, and if they don't like it, they can find another song to listen to."

Eliott manages a small smile. "I'm glad, my poet."

Eliott squeezes Lucas's hand, and Lucas squeezes back. 

* * *

They start their walk to the bus stop, the moon giving them enough light to see and the stars guiding them home. They don't talk. They just hold hands, kiss each other on the cheek, gaze at each other. A silence hangs between them. Lucas thinks this silence feels like a hug from Eliott. Eliott thinks this silence feels like getting lost in Lucas's ocean eyes. Nevertheless, this silence is comfortable, safe. This silence is a bit like home. Neither of them feels afraid to break this silence, either. One speaks, and the other replies. 

Lucas and Eliott have become so used to each other they've become almost woven together. Whatever empty space that gapes inside Lucas is filled by Eliott, and Lucas has found a place in Eliott's nooks and crannies, too. They fill each other, complete each other. Whenever Lucas feels alone, he finds Eliott tucked away somewhere, and his heart warms and his mind quiets and everything is okay. When Eliott feels like he's getting out of control, he finds Lucas and everything is a little calmer.

Lucas finally understands all the love poems he read once upon a time that he thought were foolish. He reads words dripping with honey and desire and he feels them echoing in his chest. He understands it all. Some nights he plays with Eliott's hair and wonders if a million sonnets will be enough to truly express everything he felt for Eliott, everything sitting in his chest and everything sparkling in Eliott's eyes. He lets himself smile, gripping Eliott's hand tighter.

"I should teach you how to write a sonnet one day," he muses.

"I thought you said to leave all the sonnets to you," Eliott replies, playful but taken aback by Lucas's statement.

"I did, but I wanna see what you could come up with," Lucas says. "Besides, I practically wrote your movie, right? And if we want to praise each other's worth despite his cruel hand, wouldn't we last longer if both our voices echoed forever, throughout time?"

Eliott smiles. "You and I. Ruling literature, film, and the world forever."

Lucas smiles, too. "Could you imagine?"

"Maybe the world would be a better place," Eliott replies. "Wouldn't it?"

Lucas nods. "It would."

They make it to the bus stop, the last few travellers of the night reading the newspaper or checking their phones. Lucas and Eliott are still holding hands, kissing each other on the cheek, gazing at each other. They do the same when the bus arrives and they find their seats. No one notices but them. And that's okay, too.

Lucas rests his head on Eliott's shoulder, letting his eyes close. Maybe he could sleep a wink or two on the way home. He feels Eliott kiss the top of his head, whisper "goodnight"s and "I love you"s into his hair. He hears him [humming](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtOvBOTyX00) a song, and his heart swells.

The bus starts moving, but it clambers clumsily over a speed bump five minutes into the ride. Lucas's eyes fly open, but Eliott reassures him they're okay.

Just outside the window as they drove by is the same streetlamp where Lucas and Eliott reunited. It still has that same orange glow. Fireflies dance around in its light, delicate and graceful. Maybe they sound like Eliott.

Lucas falls asleep again, and he somehow ends up in bed with Eliott. He plays with Lucas's hair, traces his cheekbones, keeps humming their favorite songs.

Once again—and may it be so forever—all is right with the world as Lucas falls into a deep, dreamless sleep in Eliott's arms.

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on tumblr! (kardamommegf)


End file.
